諸經要集 8.89

8.89

Furthermore, the Foreign Record states: The Buddha ascended to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to preach the Dharma for his mother, remaining there for ninety days. King Prasenajit, longing to see the Buddha, carved an ox-head sandalwood image of the Tathāgata and placed it where the Buddha used to sit. Later, when the Buddha returned to the vihāra, the image came out to welcome him. The Buddha said, 'Return to your seat. After my parinirvāṇa, you will serve as a model for the fourfold assembly.' The image then returned to its seat. This image was the very first of all statues. The Buddha moved to reside in a small vihāra on either side, twenty paces away from the image. The Jetavana Vihāra originally had seven stories; various countries competed to make uninterrupted offerings to it. Inside the hall there was an eternal lamp; a rat took the lampwick in its mouth and set fire to the banners and canopies, which ultimately consumed all seven stories of the vihāra. The kings and peoples of the various countries were filled with great sorrow and distress, thinking the sandalwood image had been burned. Four or five days later, when they opened the door of the small vihāra on the east side, they suddenly saw that the original image had moved to that room. The crowd rejoiced greatly. Together they repaired the vihāra, managing to build two stories, and moved the image back to its original place. Furthermore, the Sūtra on King Udayana Making an Image of the Buddha says: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, the king of the country of Vatsa, named Udayana, came to where the Buddha was, bowed his head to the ground in reverence, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha, saying, 'Bhagavat, after the Buddha passes into extinction, if there are sentient beings who make an image of the Buddha, what blessing will they obtain?' The Buddha told the king, 'If someone makes an image of the Buddha, their merit will be immeasurable and beyond reckoning. In life after life, wherever they are born, they will not fall into the evil destinies. They will receive blessings and happiness in heaven and among humans. Their body will always have the color of purple-burnished gold; their eyes will be clear and pure, their countenance upright; their torso, hands, and feet will be extraordinarily wondrous and fine; and they will always be loved and revered by all people. If born among humans, they will always be born into the family of an emperor, minister, elder, or virtuous good family. The place where they are born will be noble, wealthy, and honored, with treasures and wealth beyond count. They will always be cherished and respected by their parents, brothers, and clan relatives. If they become an emperor, they will be the most honored among kings, revered and relied upon by all the kings of other realms; they may even become a wheel-turning sage king ruling over the four continents, endowed with the seven treasures by nature, having a full thousand sons, and flying up to the heavens, with nowhere they cannot reach. If born in heaven, they will be the most supreme among devas; they may even become a king of the six heavens of desire, the most noble and foremost among the six heavens. If born in the Brahmā Heaven, they will become a Great Brahmā King, incomparable in dignity, surpassing all other Brahmā devas, and always revered by all the Brahmās. Later, they will all attain rebirth in the land of Amitāyus as great bodhisattvas, the most honored and foremost. Passing through countless kalpas, they will attain buddhahood and enter the path of Nirvāṇa. If someone makes an image of the Buddha, they will obtain blessings such as these.'